The house is a 1949 ranch and the cabinetry in the before photos are original. I designed the new kitchen myself. The kitchen was very dark with only one overhead light and the window above the sink and had awkward storage with many cabinets too high for me to reach. The work triangle was efficient so I kept all the appliances in the same place which saved money. We removed the wall between the kitchen and the laundry room and also removed a walk-in pantry. With the wall gone, light now pours in from two windows and the back door. I ran cabinetry down the entire length of the "refrigerator wall" with pantries and a long stretch of counter for baking.

The goal was to create a timeless look with few trendy finishes. I wanted the space to look like it had been built that way back in 1949. But, the entire crew, and myself, remained flexible and the job got done on time. I learned to pick my battles — I was not going to give up my quartz counters or 5-burner stove!

This will come as no shock to anyone having done a reno... stay flexible and keep that contingency fund handy. I remodeled the only bathroom at the same time so I didn't live in the house. I wish I was able to stop by the house more often to prevent little bouts of miscommunication.